Lawsuit planned over RLMS fight that injured girl

Kris Walsh, mother of Lauren Walsh, states in the lawsuit notice that her daughter was hurt when a fight broke out April 12 in the hallway between Liam Wurzel and Christian Mocete-Espada. According to the notice of intent to sue, Lauren Walsh was pushed by the two boys into a locker, hitting her head. The girl fell to the ground and the two boys fell on top of her, the document states.

"The fight between the boys was not stopped. There was no school intervention or supervision," according to the notice filed by Mark D. Arons, the lawyer representing Walsh.

Ludlowe Principal Glenn Mackno said because of the pending lawsuit, he could not comment on the incident.

According to the police report -- which did not identify the names of the students involved because of their ages -- police were called by school officials to Ludlowe about 10:42 a.m. April 12 to investigate a report that a student was injured because of a fight.

The two boys who fought apparently had a history of confrontations. Earlier that day they had a dispute and words were exchanged, police said, but they went their separate ways. Later that morning the pair met again and the dispute escalated into a physical fight, apparently over a girl, the police report states.

Both boys were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment.

The Fairfield Citizen received a copy of a letter sent to Mackno by a writer who claims to be a Ludlowe parent in which the writer takes the principal to task for his handling of the incident, and said it is evidence of a more serious bullying problem at the school.

"As a parent, I am disillusioned by your letter dated April 12, 2011, in which you ramble on with run-on and fragmented sentences castigating the eighth graders because they did not warn the "administration" as to the planned violent incident that took place in school on April 12, 2011," the letter stated.

The writer said Mackno's letter appears to be an attempt to divert the "responsibility to provide a safe, orderly and secure environment for all students at RLMS by passing the blame onto the eight (sic) graders. Your attempt to `teach to the moment' neglected to provide any recognition or positive reinforcement for the courageous eight (sic) grader who, in the absence of teacher supervision in the hallway between classes, stepped in to stop the fight."

The letter contends the Ludlowe administration should find out why students are afraid to warn school officials about possible violence and should ensure consistent and effective supervision in the hallways between classes.